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There was something in the air, something that made Merope want to rejoice in everything living and unliving. That thing was freedom. Classes were done for the day, and the campus had seemed to clear off as students hustled to their dorm rooms to change out of any uniforms, then to sit back and relax or go do homework. Or possibly go do something else, as others were seen hurrying around. Clubs, perhaps? The boil didn't know, nor particularly care. All he knew was that classes today were over.

He didn't feel like staying in his dorm room, though. It was a couple weeks after the Walkathon the Christmastown raid was, and by now the undead boil had gotten used to the concept. It was an easy thing to scoop one of his white follyjoxes out of the closet and carry it under one arm to the commons before setting it down on the grass. "Hey girrrl," he called, holding up a red ball. "Ball! You want ball? Go fetch!" He threw it.

The white follyjox looked at him, yawned, and settled down for a nap. "Hey!"

"Go on! Fetch! Feeeeeeeetch!" Merope wiggled his fingers at the small follyjox before poking it, trying to prod it into moving. The boil even went so far to kneel down next to it, coaxing. "You can't sleep all day! Come onnn!" He was oblivious to the porcelain doll's presence until she loomed over him. Slowly, he turned around and peered up.

"MEI!" He exclaimed, jumping up and holding his arms out for a hug. "You're okay! It's me, Merope! How've you been? What happened to you in Chris...mas... Yoooou don't look happy."

Yay! The boy flicked his tail and seemed to glow a bit brighter as the ghoul returned the hug. That was one thing he learned on land that he adored, even if most people didn't want to stay in his undead embrace for long. Siiiigh. Maybe he should look into hanging an air freshener around his neck in addition to his medallion?

Merope nodded to her story, looking confused as she offered him the ball. "Oh! Thanks," he said, bending down to scoop up his white follyjox. "Seacresst here didn't -- oh. Oh, ooooh NOW you want it?" The white follyjox was struggling in his arm, its small paws flailing as it tried to reach for the ball. The boil chuckled, setting the minipet down on the ground before tossing the ball and watching his pet run after it.

"Pretty much the same thing, though we were attacked by a pink elf robot thing. I have a couple pieces of its armor in my room, but it's way too heavy to move in this form." He shrugged, adding, "I don't remember much after the explosion, though I did wake up in my room."

It could be that the follyjox was cat-like in that to refused to come when called, acting more on its terms than anything else. Or maybe it was a pitiful creature with a short attention span that just now noticed the glory of a red ball. Or, most likely, the creature was female and keen on being Mysterious in order to befuddle its male owner.

Either way, it seemed pleased with itself as it ran over the ball, nearly tripping over itself in its haste to pick it up and come prancing back. It dropped the ball at Mei's feet and looked up, staring with pleading eyes.

"There might be," Merope agreed, nodding slowly. "At least two, then? I'm not sure what other people went through. Mine kept throwing hearts and icicles at us." He shuddered, then stared as Seacrest approached Mei. "Careful, it might be a bit slobbery -- sorry about that, she likes to chew on it."

Merope bobbed his head in agreement. "No kidding! Makes me glad we just have gnomes and professors to deal with, y'know?"

As soon as Mei chucked the ball, the little follyjox tripped over its own tentacles in its haste to chase. Bits of grass flew up as it dug its paws into the ground, charging off after it. Excited yipping and squeaks could be heard as it disappeared into the bushes.

"Nice throw!" Merope complimented, giving her a quick thumbs-up. "Plans? Eh, not really. Just messing around with Seacrest here. What abut you?"

Merope was lucky that his bed was basically an aquarium. All he had to do was take a pet out and toss it in and he was done -- drool was either ignored or washed off, then filtered through his bed-tank's purification bubble system. That was really the only reason he tolerated the purifier: the bubbles.

"That's good!" Merope replied before wincing, "Ugh. That reminds me that I have a paper to write for Ms. Winters. Have you had her yet? She's a demon that teaches etiquette. Formal dress is required to enter her class."

He shuddered. "I had to raid the lost and found for an outfit, too."

"It... depends on what you consider 'good'," Merope answered, scratching the back of his head. "A demoness runs it, and if you're not wearing anything formal she'll kick you out. Aymet - he's a dracolich that lives next to me, by the way. He just wore a fancy shirt under his jacket and that seemed to fit." He shrugged. "All we've done so far is walk down a line, and before you think that's easy... Try doing it while balancing a book on your head. And have an open bottle of perfume on top of that. One wrong step... Sploosh." Merope gestured vaguely, miming the effect of getting drenched.

The lost-fathoms leviathan grinned. "You wouldn't believe some of the stuff in there!" He gushed, "Apparently they recently cleaned out some old dorm rooms, too. I found a whole bunch of really neat outfits, but the best thing ever is this really neat outfit! It's like, a white shirt with poofy sleeves. There's also this jacket that almost goes down to my knees, and it looks really fancy. I think a passing gnome called it 'swashbuckler style', whatever that means?" He shrugged, "Anyway, my wings made it hard to try'em on, so I'm paying a patchwork ghoul in the Undead dorms to alter them for me."

Merope apparently was as bad as a ghoul when it came to clothes. "I dunno if it's formal, but I wasn't kicked out so I guess it worked?" He looked at her, considering, "There was one girl that wore pajamas to class, if that helps? She wore a skirt over it, and that seemed to count."

Merope stared at her curiously. "You can pull off your own arm?" He asked, glancing at her arm. "I... Don't take this the wrong way, but it doesn't look like you can to me? I mean," he gestured to himself, "As a zombie, I can remove my parts if needed except in order to put'em back on I need salt water."

The boil laughed and gave her a shrug. "I dunno what it means either! I was hoping you would," he admitted, "It sounds neat though, doesn't it? The shirt is nice and loose, and I feel rather swanky in it. Otherwise..." He trailed off with a shrug. "Mrs. Winters just requested formal clothing, so I think I do? She hasn't commented on it yet, so I think it's okay!"

He nodded to her again as Seacrest came bouncing up with its ball. "I changed out of it earlier, but I can show it to you if you'd like later? Otherwise if you're ever bored, I highly recommend checking out the Lost and Found. If you see something you like, just tell'em it's your's."